Beijing (CNN) -- After months of intense political rumors, China'sruling Communist Party announced Tuesday an official probe into a retiredsenior leader for suspected "serious disciplinary violation."

Zhou Yongkang, the former domestic securityczar, was placed under investigation by the Central Commission for DisciplineInspection in accordance with Party regulations, state-run news agency Xinhuasaid in a one-line dispatch without elaborating.

Before stepping down in late 2012, Zhou,71, was one of the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision-making bodythat effectively rules the country of more than 1.3 billion people.

Amid an intensifying anti-corruptioncampaign launched by President Xi Jinping, many political analysts and ordinarycitizens have noted ties between an increasing number of disgraced officialsand Zhou in recent months. Zhou himself had been rumored to be under housearrest before Tuesday's

it is important to show discipline. bo xilai had allowed a demonstration of a lot of indiscipline by (important) PRC people and leaders and involvement of third-party in terms of information and also performance.

does all this fix the problem. does it explain how to actually go about without being caught.

and since court cases and procedure in PRC is not transparent this is all from the outside a "power play" ... fascinating